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Olympus 25mm f/1.8 or Sigma 30mm f/2.8?

Started Feb 28, 2014 | Discussions thread
Cafe Racer Senior Member • Posts: 2,137
Re: Olympus 25mm f/1.8 or Sigma 30mm f/2.8?
2

I think the Sigma 30mm f2.8 is a worthy consideration. I too was thinking about the 25mm f1.8 but it's over-priced in the UK; £369.00 / $617.00. At the current price of the 25mm, I think the sigma would be a very good compromise.

I've tried the Sigma at my local camera store and the focusing seems much quicker and quieter than my 20mm f1.7. If like me you're shooting outdoors a lot, I tend to stop down to at least f2.8 and beyond for greater depth of field so the max. aperture on the Sigma is not much of an issue in this scenario. The 30mm is also seems very sharp at max. aperture and used with the Olympus stabilistation, it's a compelling piece of kit for the low price.

If you're already a prime lens shooter then you'll be used to moving back and forth to compose, and if you're shooting outdoors I don't think you'll find the focal length much more restrictive than the 25mm. It will allow to keep a comfortable distance from your subject without interupting the scene.

I also found that the 30mm is good for upper body portraits, offering some subject isolation and a natural perspective.

I would say go for the Sigma for now and get the 25mm when the price drops to within your price range. That's more than likely what I'm going to do.

 Cafe Racer's gear list:Cafe Racer's gear list
Olympus PEN E-P1 Olympus PEN E-P5 Panasonic G85 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 II Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm F1.8 +4 more
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